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The crew were all picked men, the majority having been in the ship on one or two previous voyages; so they were quite at home, and sprang into the rigging long before the second-mate had got to the end of his refrain.
The next task was to help Morgan through, and Small and Billy Widgeon went to where he was lying on the sand, with Bruff beside him, sharing the wounded couch. "No, my lads, I can walk," said the second-mate. "Sorry I am so helpless." "Not more sorry than we, sir," said Billy Widgeon respectfully. "I wish we'd brought Jacko with us instead of the dog."
It is not at all surprising, therefore, that our young sailor got to be the second-mate of the Raucocus before he had quite completed his eighteenth year. It was uttered many years since, by a shrewd Quaker, in West-Chester, who was contending with a neighbour on a subject that the other endeavoured to defend by alluding to the extent of his own observation.
"All secured in the forecastle, except the second-mate and boatswain, the men who hailed you just now; the last was knocked on the head, and the former was stabbed and thrown overboard." We immediately released the men, eighteen in number, and armed them with boarding-pikes. "What vessel is that astern of us?" said Treenail to the mate.
"Get up directly, father, and see the coast of Spain." "Yes, my lad, you've had a narrow squeak for it," said the first-mate, shaking hands. "You're in for it now." He patted Mark's shoulder as he stood gazing over the port bulwark at a dim blue line. "I couldn't get to you more, Mark, my lad," said the second-mate, "but you'll be all right now. We've had a rough time."
"But capital for a passenger who only wants to make his trip as long as he can," said Mark laughingly. "Ah! I forgot that you leave us at Plymouth," said the second-mate. "Penzance," cried Mark. "That depends on the weather, young man. If that happens to be bad you will be dropped at Plymouth, and I'm afraid we are going to have a change."
"Let the poor wretch go, Gregory," whispered the second-mate. "Sha'n't!" snapped the first-mate; and as he raged and stormed Mark felt more than ever that this was the real captain of the ship, and that his father must occupy a very secondary position. "I would work so hard," said the poor fellow piteously. "I only want to get into another country and try again." "At our owner's expense, eh?
I set this escape down, as one of the many unmerited favours I have received from Providence. My next berth was that of second-mate on board a new ship, in the Charleston trade, called the Franklin. I made the voyage, and, for a novelty, did not run in the southern port, which was a rare circumstance in that place.
The changes rendered necessary by this drafting off of so large a proportion of her crew involved certain promotions on board the Flying Cloud, in which promotion Ned, to his intense gratification, was made a sharer, he being appointed acting second-mate vice Mr Willoughby, who was promoted to the post of chief, whilst Williams was made boatswain's- mate.
The second-mate stood waiting the further descent of the captain, with a soft of leering look of contempt on his hard, well-dyed features, which seemed to anticipate that it would soon be known that Mark's white water had lost its colour, and become blue water once more. But Captain Crutchely did not go as far as this, when he got down.
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